Periokos Camp

In eastern Hellenistic states there was a limit to the number of Greek recruits available, and so local populations and mercenaries were used. After Alexander, leaders valued quantity over quality and some amassed huge armies of up to 70,000 men with only a small portion of Greek origin. Further west, Hellenistic states were caught up in conflicts that depleted their numbers, making mercenaries essential to continued warfare. In 227BC Cleomenes III of Sparta made 5000 free men citizens and allowed some slaves to buy their freedom so that he had more potential recruits. When Philip V of Macedon suffered huge losses he chose to reorganise his kingdom. During peacetime, he redistributed the population and was able to leave a large army to his son, Perseus.